Joshua Jackson, best known for his role as Pacey Witter on Dawson’s Creek, has recently become very candid about his own auditioning experiences. These moments had a profound influence on the career that he went on to have. The actor revealed that he actually auditioned for the lead role of Dawson Leery. That part ultimately went to James Van Der Beek. Jackson’s path to auditioning successfully for the role of Pacey was an it’s-a-small-world-who-would-have-thought-odyssey.
The audition process for Dawson’s Creek was already in full swing when Jackson was still 17 years old. Despite these setbacks, he endured a brutal gauntlet of nine auditions leading to the NBA Draft. In each of those, he had to beat out 35 other hungry wannabe teen actors. He described the atmosphere as reminiscent of “The Hunger Games,” stating, “In that room are 35 potential kids who are now put into this Hunger Games moment.” The audition atmosphere crackled with cutthroat competition. The candidates were successively cut throughout the day, and Jackson found himself unsure of what position exactly he was competing for.
And even with the seriousness of the plight Jackson was realistic yet hopeful. He said thank you for just being able to do a job the right way. I was the wrong age to have any taste,” he confessed, looking back at his attitude during this period. He certainly loved both the position and the salary. As he continued to process the experience, he called it “uncomfortable.
The audition room’s atmosphere was further amplified by the receptionist who mimicked the WB network’s iconic frog and jingle, adding a touch of levity to an otherwise tense environment. After several rounds of auditions, Jackson received the life-changing news: “Congratulations. You just got the job,” he recalled.
Jackson, looking back on what it was like filming the pilot of Dawson’s Creek, which first aired on the WB in 1998 and lasted six years, Shepard explained how filming was done in a kind of “bubble” in North Carolina. He felt this unusual arrangement in hindsight to be “extremely important.” It gave the cast a chance to really connect and focus on their performances without distractions from the outside world.
Together with Jackson, Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, and Michelle Williams made up the principal cast. Each one of these superstars was so talented that their profound contributions continue to inspire the world today. Every actor contributed their own special kind of magic to the series. It was Jackson’s representation of Pacey that really endeared him to fans and cemented his status in television history.
Almost thirty years later, Jackson looks back on his career. For Levy, it’s hard to overemphasize the way those formative audition experiences impacted his career trajectory. He auditioned for every supporting role on the show and eventually landed one—but not just any role. This odyssey has shaped his career and created a remarkable legacy within the domain of adolescent soap operas.